On January 8, 2019, the 2018 National Science and Technology Awards Ceremony was held in the Great Hall of the People. Co-applied by KUST, Kunming Institute of Metallurgy and Shanxi University, the distinguished professor of KUST, Jan Dean Miller, was awarded the China 2018 International Science and Technology Cooperation Award, which is one of the five national science and technology awards. And President Xi Jinping presented the award to Professor Miller.

Jan Dean Miller, American, born in April 1942. He, the Distinguished Professor of Ifor Thomas of the University of Utah, is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and also a famous scientist in metallurgy and mineral processing.

Professor Miller was the first person to apply mineral 3D CT scanning technology to mineral structure analysis and resource recovery. He was awarded the Distinguished Member of the American Mining/Metallurgy/Exploration Society and Robert H. Richards Awards of American Society of Mining/Metallurgical/Petroleum Engineers.